BAI plans training camp in Hyd from July 1

PTI

New Delhi

Top Indian shuttlers, including P V Sindhu, will be able to hit the courts from July 1 if the state government gives a green light to the Badminton Association of India (BAI) for organising a national camp in Hyderabad. While a bunch of Indian players have started practising at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) in Bengaluru after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) laid down rules for resumption of training late last month, the elite players in Hyderabad had no such luck.

With COVID-19 cases surging in Hyderabad, the Talengana government as a precautionary measure extended the lockdown till June 30 but it meant the return to sport got further delayed for the top players in the state.

“The pandemic has put a break on our training but after weighing the situation, we have decided to start the training camps in Hyderabad from July 1, subject to state governments permission and approval,” BAI secretary Ajay Singhania
told PTI.

In March, the BAI had postponed the Senior National Championships, scheduled in Lucknow between April 27 to May 3 in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and it has now decided not to resume the domestic circuit till September.

“BAI had a discussion with all state secretaries on the status of resuming the domestic tournaments and after consultations it was decided that domestic tournaments will not resume till September,” Singhania said.

“The pandemic situation will be further accessed and reviewed
in September.”